2 Days in Song-Kul Lake as Nomad – Horseback Riding and Yurt Stay
From 250 USD per person
Tour Overview
Step into the authentic nomadic lifestyle with a two-day adventure at Song-Kul Lake. Ride horses across mountain trails, watch herds of grazing sheep, and stay overnight in a traditional yurt surrounded by pristine alpine landscapes. Perfect for travelers seeking cultural immersion, adventure, and tranquility.
Itinerary
Hotel Pickup
Depart Bishkek in the morning for a scenic drive toward Song-Kul.
Lunch Stop
Pause for lunch in a roadside café or guesthouse en route.
Arrive at Song-Kul
Meet your horse guide and ride toward the yurt camp (1.5–2 hours by horse).
Dinner and Overnight
Enjoy a traditional dinner and spend the night in a yurt.
Horseback Ride
Optional morning ride along the lakeshore or nearby hills. Relax time.
Return to Bishkek
Drive back to Bishkek, arriving in the evening.
What to expect
Day 1
Day 1
Bishkek - Burana Tower - Orto-Tokoy - Song Kul lake
In the morning you’ll be picked up from a hotel to start your exciting tour. We’ll head towards Burana Tower to the small town of Tokmok (80km from Bishkek). Your guide will show you the mausoleums and other buildings discovered by archaeologists during excavations, you will have a chance to climb to the top of the ancient tower, where there is a beautiful view of the Chui valley and the Tien-Shan mountains open. Visit the small museum, which presents various archaeological artifacts, as well as an open-air museum, which contains ancient gravestones, rock drawings, and other interesting historical objects found on the territory of our country.

The Boom gorge is the connecting link between Chui valley and Song Kol lake. In the gorge flows one of the largest rivers of Tien-Shan – Chu. The river broke this large and picturesque gorge among the mountains. It will be our stop for the snacks and tea at one of the restaurants. National puff cakes with soar cream and tea boiled in russian samovar with unique taste.

Orto Tokyo reservoir is another picturesque place we will stop where you can enjoy the panoramic view to the first build reservoir surrounded by great dry mountains of Naryn region. This place is the only where you can witness camels in Kyrgyzstan because of the weather conditions.

After 2-3 hours driving we will finally start ascending to Song-Kol lake. The surrounding view changes color and texture all the time: from stony dunes to green hills. Here you can meet peacefully grazing mountain yaks - majestic animals that amaze with their power. Also in the vast meadows of the pass the mountain edelweiss grows. These beautiful flowers have become a real symbol of the mountains; lyrical works are dedicated to them. From the highest point, you can see the surrounding mountain peaks and the valley, from where the ascent began. There is an opportunity to estimate the scale of the done path and is breathtaking. Further, the road leads to descent, and hiking down is greatly accelerated. Very little remains until the meeting with the Son-Kul Lake. The journey through the Kalmak-Ashuu Pass is an exciting adventure.

Around 5 PM we will finally arrive at our yurt camp in Song-Kol lake. Check in to our yurts, have some rest after long drive. Have free time before dinner, and as soon as it gets dark we will make a fire and enjoy the lake and stars.
Day 2
Day 2
Song Kul lake - Kochkor village - Bishkek
After breakfast, we start exploring Song-Kol lake bit deeper. For a long time the lake has been a meeting place for the different tribes in the area and around the shoreline you will find ancient burial mounds and stone monuments. Kyrgyz people believe the lake is sacred and many come to pray(meditate).

We will start by horse back riding to the mountains and see a small nice waterfall there. The main thing is not the waterfall itself, but the stunning nature on the way to it. The way is quite long, you will have time to have a rest and take beautiful pictures of nature. Further, we will ride up to the hill on our way back to the yurt camp to see the amazing panorama of Song-Kol lake and witness stone drawings.

Around 12 PM we wil start our way back to Bishkek. On our way we will drive through one of the most spectacular roads in Kyrgyzstan leads to the Terkey Torpok Pass(also known as 33 parrots), which is over 3000m high and whose more than 30 serpentines.

We will make stop at Kochkor village to have some lunch with Kyrgyz family or local restaurant and move on.

Arrival in the capital city. Have dinner in nice restaurant in Bishkek. After you'll be dropped off at your hotel (not included). This is the end of our intense but awesome tour, thank you very much!
What's Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Private transport with driver
  • English-speaking cultural guide
  • 1 night in yurt
  • Horse rental and guide
  • 2 lunches, 1 dinner, 1 breakfastб, Bottled water
Pricing
Private tour
$500 USD per person​
Group of 2 people
$300 USD per person
Group of 3-4 people
$250 USD per person
Group of 5 or more people​
By Request
Additional Information
  • Duration:
    2 days / 1 night
  • Language
    English
  • Activity level
    Moderate (includes horseback riding at altitude)
  • Accommodation
    Summer months only (June–September)
  • What to bring
    Yurt (basic facilities, shared)
Contacts:
Телефон: +996 551 996 600
Почта: orient@travel.kg
orient-travel, 720001, Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek